Hollywood Feminist of the Day: Ryan Gosling

The Weinstein Co. is taking on the MPAA for both Blue Valentine's NC-17 rating and The King's Speech R rating. They are so serious that they hired three top tier lawyers including David Boies to kick some MPAA ass. Please folks, let's also remember that Made in Dagenham has also been screwed by the system. That movie opens tomorrow without any legal eagles fighting its fight.

I have to say it's about fucking time that someone is standing up to the asinine ratings system.

Ryan Gosling one of the stars of Blue Valentine got into the conversation and talked about how misogynistic the system is. I love guys who use patriarchy and misogyny is a single press statement.

You have to question a cinematic culture which preaches artistic expression, and yet would support a decision that is clearly a product of a patriarchy-dominant society, which tries to control how women are depicted on screen. The MPAA is okay supporting scenes that portray women in scenarios of sexual torture and violence for entertainment purposes, but they are trying to force us to look away from a scene that shows a woman in a sexual scenario, which is both complicit and complex. It’s misogynistic in nature to try and control a woman’s sexual presentation of self. I consider this an issue that is bigger than this film.

I have to say that Gosling's statement is one of the most feminist statement about the movie business that I have seen in a long time, if ever. Think a woman could say that? I doubt it would get the same traction.

Really impressive.

Ryan Gosling Tees Off on ‘Misogynistic’ MPAA Over Blue Valentine Rating (Movieline)